The U.S. is moving forward with reducing its troop presence in Iraq, rolling back security efforts in the nation to focus on the anti-ISIS mission in Syria. The move will shift U.S. forces to the Kurdistan region to continue finishing off the Syrian remnants of ISIS, one source told Reuters on Tuesday. American troops have been in Iraq in varying capacities since 2003 after the post-9/11 invasion, while the shift in U.S. forces outside Syria began in earnest in late 2024. ISIS’ presence in the Middle East has waned considerably since its height in the 2010s, in part thanks to U.S. campaigns under President Donald Trump in his first term. “The U.S. Government will continue close coordination with the Government of Iraq and Coalition members to ensure a responsible transition,” Parnell told the DCNF.